Questions answered: Why was Brian Gaine fired, what is next for the Texans?

HOUSTON – Last Friday, the Texans announced that Brian Gaine was being fired after just one season in the position as general manager.

Here are a few things you need to know about why Gaine was let go and what is yet to come:

Why did the Texans fire Brian Gaine?

The following is a statement from Houston Texans Chairman and CEO Cal McNair concerning Brian Gaine:

“After a thorough evaluation of our football operations, we have decided to relieve Brian Gaine of his duties as general manager. Brian is a man of high character and we appreciate his contributions to our organization. We will begin an immediate search for a new GM. In the interim, Football Operations will be led by Senior Vice President of Football Administration Chris Olsen. While the timing may be unusual, this decision was made in the best interest of our organization in our quest to build a championship team for the City of Houston.”

What does a general manager in the NFL do?

The job responsibilities of a general manager in the NFL can vary from a vast variety of duties. Hiring the head coach, putting together the team’s roster through free agency and the draft, budgeting and presenting a spending outline for the owner to meet the salary cap. A big part of their role is hiring the personnel department for scouting college prospects.

Who makes the decisions in the meantime?

According to the statement released by McNair on Friday Chris Olsen, senior vice president of football operations, is taking over football operations. The team begins mandatory minicamp this week and there are big decisions to make between now and the start of the season. Perhaps the biggest is the future of three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney. Will Olsen be tasked with handling the Clowney situation? Or will head coach Bill O’Brien’s lead the charge on that decision?

Reports surfaced Monday that Clowney, a defensive end, is expected to be a no-show at the mandatory minicamp, which begins Tuesday. Back in April, Gaine had told the media that he was hopeful that a long term deal with Clowney could be worked out. July 15 is the deadline for Clowney to sign a deal longer than one year. Now with Gaine gone, it presents many questions as to how things will be settled with Clowney and his agent.

What are the players saying about the decision to fire Gaine?

Aside from Clowney, it doesn’t affect the other players much moving forward. Over the weekend, Channel 2’s Lainie Fritz spoke with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who referred to the decision as “above his pay grade”.

“I’m pretty sure it was unexpected for a guy to have a contract that was five years," said Hopkins. "But the organization, you got to trust them. I go out and execute the plays. I’m sure the organization thought that was best for us so that’s what I’m going with.”